December 2009
-
There are no “Darwinists,” and “Darwinism” is not a theory in biology
It is a shame when otherwise intelligent people fall prey to one of the favorite rhetorical ploys of the ID conmen, namely, referring to one of the best-established theories in the natural sciences–the theory of evolution by natural selection–as "Darwinism" and referring to those (essentially all biologists, and almost all educated people) who accept the…
-
On Choosing Referees
This concerns a mathematics journal, but several of the points will resonate with philosophers.
-
The Plutocracy is Alive and Well, Thank You
No surprise there.
-
Given the Job Market, Should PhD Programs Systematically Limit the Number of New Students They Enroll?
A young philosopher at a PhD-granting department writes: Given the decline in new tenure-track jobs available, shouldn't PhD granting departments cut the number of slots for PhD students? It is perverse for us to collectively continue to produce the same number of PhDs as the number of available jobs declines. I am not talking about temporary…
-
The Most Important Developments (for good or ill) in the Legal Academy Since 2000
So there were over 500 votes cast, but unfortunately, there was also a spurt of strategic voting for #2 on the list, which had lagged at the bottom of the top ten for much of the polling–so much for Internet polling science! Here are the results: 1. U.S. News ranking of law schools (Condorcet winner: wins contests…
-
What were the best/most important philosophy books and articles of the past decade (since 2000)?
This seems like a fun and suitable end of the decade question to ask. With respect to your choices, please say a few words about why–that will be helpful especially to those outside a particular specialty trying to figure out whether or not they should read that particular book or article. I'll weigh in in…
-
Saul Levmore in 1980
Test your knowledge! I know you can't resist.
-
MLA on the Decline in Jobs in English and other Language Specialties
Here: The Modern Language Association's annual forecast on job listings, being released today, predicts that positions in English language and literature will drop 35 percent from last year, while positions in languages other than English are expected to fall 39 percent this year. Given that both categories saw decreases last year, the two-year decline in…
-
NYU’s Waldron to Take Up Chichele Chair at Oxford on Half-Time Basis
Jeremy Waldron (political and legal philosophy) at New York University School of Law will take up the Chichele Professorship in Social and Political Theory at Oxford University on a half-time basis beginning in the 2010-11 academic year. He will teach in the fall at NYU and in the spring at Oxford for the first two or three years. There remains…
-
“Explaining Theoretical Disagreement”
First the video, now the article.
-
An Opportunity to Discuss Journal Issues with Editors…
…at the Eastern APA. This grew, in part, out of discussions here, so those who participated in or followed those threads may want to participate in this session if they will be in New York.
-
Correlation is Causation After All
Here…which reminds me of Frank Jackson's remark: I am sometimes asked–in a tone that suggests that the question is a major objection–why, if conceptual analysis is concerned to elucidate what governs our classificatory practice, don't I advocate doing serious opinion polls on people's responses to various cases? My answer is that I do–when it is…
-
“There is no general metaphysical picture that our best science supports”
The quote is from Jack Ritchie's Understanding Naturalism, which I learned about from this informative review. A bit more context: Ritchie's brand of naturalism takes a stand against analytic metaphysicians such as Armstrong, Jackson and Lewis, who appeal to science as a basis for their constructive metaphysical programs. His main claim is that if we…
I just published in the new PPA and can say it was one of the most difficult, rigorous R&R’s of…